“Mr. Zingano was pronounced dead on Jan. 13 at his home,” said Pruett. “He was pronounced at 8:31 p.m.”

Citing struggles with the break-up of his marriage, several MMAWeekly.com sources alleged that Zingano committed suicide. Pruitt, however, said that “the cause and manner of death are pending” the outcome of the investigation of the Jefferson County coroner’s office.

Zingano and his academy have been staples of the Colorado mixed martial arts scene for the past decade. While Zingano BJJ primarily offered various martial arts classes to the community in the northern area of Metro Denver, several MMA fighters trained under Zingano, most notably his wife, Cat Zingano, who is currently the No. 1 UFC women’s bantamweight contender.

Mauricio, who was 37 years old at the time of his death, actively competed in mixed martial arts before shifting his focus to his academy in Colorado. He was undefeated as a mixed martial artist, compiling a professional record of 2-0-1, but also competed as an amateur and in various Gracie challenge matches.

He was a third degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and is one of the few to train with Master Helio Gracie, as well as with Rickson, Rorion, Rolker, Relson, and Royce Gracie.